1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a folding superstructure of a web-fed rotary printing press with at least one former by which one or more paper webs fed through this former are provided with a longitudinal fold, the longitudinally folded paper web being actively guided to folding cylinders, wherein the folding cylinders further process the uncut paper web to form cut sheets.
The invention is further directed to a method for operating a folding superstructure of a web-fed rotary printing press, one or more paper webs being guided through at least one former and longitudinally folded, and the longitudinally folded paper web is actively guided to folding cylinders, wherein the folding cylinders cut the uncut paper web at least to form sheets.
2. Description of Related Art
In web-fed rotary printing presses, which can be constructed as offset printing presses in newspaper printing and picture printing, a paper web is fed to a printing unit or a plurality of printing units and is imprinted in the latter with one or more colors. The printed paper web is fed as an individual strand which is divided into partial strands, to one or more formers where each of the strands acquires a longitudinal fold therein.
In a typical folding superstructure, adjoining a former nose 2 of the one or more formers 1 are former lead-in rollers 3, 4, which form a lead-in gap 5. Generally, a pair of nipping rollers 7, 8 is arranged after the former lead-in rollers 3,4 for actively advancing the paper web 6. After the one or more formers, further processing is carried out in a folding apparatus or folding unit.
Traditionally, guide plates 9 or fingers have been used to feed the uncut paper web 6 to different sides of the folding unit. The paper web 6 is guided by one or more the surfaces of the guide plate or finger 9. An operator must adjust or manipulate the folding unit in order to change the feed side of the folding unit. This construction makes operation inconvenient and laborious when feeding in the paper web 6.